Collapsible tube container and dispenser



Sept. 1, 1959 R. R; KEESEE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Filed June 10, 1957 Roland R. Keesee INVENTOR. Q0655!- Sept. 1, 1959- R. R. KEESEE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONTAINER AND DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10,. 1957 Fig 2 Illlllllllll 'lllllll ADAPTER Roland R. Keesee INVENTOR.

I WM 5% 5 I I I I 3 "I'll-III) Patented Sept. 1, 1959 fi ice COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Roland R. Keesee, North Little Rock, Ark.

Application June 10, 1957, Serial No. 664,649

Claims. (Cl. 141370) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in manually actuatable mechanical means which is expressly designed and effectually adopted to serve as a container and holder for a paste containing collapsible tube and which functions to enable a user thereof to dispense and apply the paste, for example, to the bristled head of a toothbrush.

Similarly constructed and performing holders and dispensers have been evolved and produced by others seeking to solve the problem of daily brushing of ones teeth in an expedient and practical as well as hygienically satisfactory manner. For instance, there exists the W. R. Smith, et al. dispensing device covered in Patent No. 1,989,713, of February 5, 1935. In the stated patent, as well as in the instant presentation, a tube of tooth paste is sandwiched between elongated leaf-like plates. Mechanical compressing and ejecting means cooperates with the plates and is progressively operable in a step-by-step manner to dispense the paste.

With a view toward improving upon the above mentioned patent and any other similarly constructed and performing prior art adaptations one objective here is to appropriate and use not only the pressure equalizing and distributing leaves or plates but to make sure that the pressure applied thereto is reliably uniform, this being accomplished by way of a novelly constructed follower type clamping and compressing device which is operable on and by way of a manually tumable feed screw.

More specifically the device is characterized by a pair of spaced parallel plates having flat portions to contact and ride along the equalizing leaves, said plates being separably connected and having a cooperating latch to facilitate the step of inserting and removing the tooth paste tube, and the leading edge portions being flared away from each other to bring about the desired progressive pressure applying result.

Another and equally important objective in the instant concept is that which has to do with valving and capping the discharge end of a nozzle from which the tooth paste is ejected or discharged. Automatically capping the tube discharge means is perhaps not broadly new and, as a matter of fact, is shown in a patent to Roache, No. 2,085,673, of June 29, 1937. Looking toward improved accomplishment of this aspect of the over-all adaptation the instant invention is possessed of refinements, structural distinctions and greater sanitation.

Briefly summarized the invention herein revealed is characterized by a case in which a collapsible tooth paste or similar tube is housed and held, manually operated mechanical means operatiwely mounted and confined in said case for holding and compressing said tube and expressing the paste from said tube by way of the usual discharge neck on the tube, the front portion of said case having a toothbrush piloting, backing and brush servicing surface against which the bristled head of the toothbrush is placed guidingly moved to and supported in a given position so that tooth paste ejected from said tube may be readily and evenly applied to the bristles, saidsurface having an opening therein with which the bristles are registered, an applicator nozzle having its discharge end alined with and protruding through said opening, an adapter on the intake end of said nozzle communicatively connecting the nozzle with the tube neck, and openable and closable nozzle capping means movably mounted on said case and opposed to and operable toward and from said backing surface and normally covering and closing the discharge end of said nozzle.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container, holder ano dispenser constructed in accondance with the principles of the present invention and showing how the dispensing result is attained and also showing in phantom lines how the cover of the case or casing is opened to permit access to be had to the interior.

Fig. 2 is a view slightly enlarged and in section and elevation taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a section on the horizontal line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections at right angles to each other taken on the lines 44 (horizontal) and 55 (vertical), respectively, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view emphasizing the details of construction of the clamping type compressing or pressure producing device showing the latch swung to open position, and

Fig. 7 is a view of a modified adapter connection with a tube neck.

Referring now to the drawings with the aid of reference numerals and lead lines, the hollow upper or head port-ion of the shell-like case is denoted by the numeral 8 and this is of general rectangular form. A significant part here is the substantially flat and smooth front portion 10 which is referred to here as the guiding, backing and brush servicing surface. This is provided centrally and near the top with an opening or hole 12 to accommodate the discharge end 14 of the goose neck portion 16 (Fig. 5) of an L-shaped adapter nozzle 18, that is a nozzle which as seen in Fig. 5 is flanged and constructed with a screw coupling 20 to engage the screw threaded neck 22 on the tooth paste or equivalent collapsible tube 24. With this arrangement the marginal edge of the head of the toothbrush may be piloted or slid along the surface with the bristles so arranged that they are located with requisite nicety beneath the ribbon 26 of tooth paste which is being ejected through the discharge nozzle 14. It is desired that a substantial portion of this servicing surface 10 shall be protectively shielded or covered and that valving means be employed for the discharge end of the nozzle. The valving means is referred to here also as capping means and it is denoted as an entity by the numeral 28..

It will be noticed that it is of generally hollow form as seen in Fig. 3 and that at one end one or more ears 30 serve to hingedly mount this end portion on a cooperating end portion 32 of a feed screw hereinafter referred to. A suitably constructed and arranged coil spring 34 co operating with the parts exerts pressure against the wall 36 to press it against the surface 10. This wall is formed with an indented cap 38 which closes over and covers the discharge end 14 as seen in Figs. 3 and 5 in particular. The wall 40 is shaped for uniformity of appearance. The leading or free end portion 42 is tapered and fashioned into a cam-like blunt nose so that as the toothbrush rides along the surface 10 it engages the cam and opens the capping means or member 28 against the tension of the spring.

.Ihe piloting, backing and servicing surface 10 in con,

3 junction with the projecting nozzle end and spring returned brush opened wedge-like capping device 28 is of significance and outstanding importance.

The principal body portion of the case is generally channel like in cross section and it is denoted as a unit by the numeral 44 and is hingedly mounted to provide a cover. This permits access to be had to the interior of the case. The base portion of the case is denoted generally by the numeral 46 and it carries a suitably welded or fixed bracket 48 providing a bearing 59 for one end portion 52 of the lengthwise rotatable feed screw 54. The upper end is journaled in appropriate bearings and terminates in a finger-gripping knob 56. The flanged portion 58 of the bracket serves to permit the lower end portions 60 of the opposed flexibly resilient leaves or plates 62 to be attached thereto. These plates extend lengthwise in the case and provide what is referred to as a holder 64 for the aforementioned paste tube. They serve to spread and distribute the applied pressure so that the contents of the tube 24 will be effectually ejected by way of the neck 22 into the nozzle 18 in the manner seen in Fig. 5.

The compressing device which acts on the leaves or plates is denoted generally by the numeral 66 and as before indicated it comprises a pair of generally flat, opposed, parallel, clamping and pressure exerting plates 68 and 70. The leading edges of these are flared outwardly as at 72 to ride with requisite nicety along the smooth friction reducing surfaces of the leaves or plates 62. The bottom plate in Fig. 4 is provided at its left hand end with a threaded portion 74- which cooperates with a similarly shaped and threaded portion 76 in providing a feed nut. This construction and arrangement constitutes a split nut which rides along the feed screw. The portion 74 has an extending flange 77' which asshown in Fig. 6 has a slot 78 and keeper notches 80 to accommodate an offset end portion 82 of a latch lever 84. This lever is provided on its upper edge intermediate its ends with a finger grip 86 and operates toward and from a stop or an abutment 88 on the plate 68. The numeral 94) in Fig. 2 designates a keeper for the latch. One end portion of the latch to the right is formed into a hook $2 which is hingedly mounted at 94 on the end portion of the plate 70. thus making it possible to raise and lower the latch and to unfasten the plates so that they may be loosened. sufliciently to allow the lower end portion of the collapsible tube to be inserted and removed when, of course, the case cover 44 is open.

The manner of forcing the capping device 28- open and applying the brush to the surface is thoughtto be clear from the showing seen in Fig. 1. The construction and operation of the feed screw operated device 66-is believed to. be self-evident. That is to say all that is necessary to operate this device progressively upward is to turn the knob 56 which operates the feed screw, acts on the split nut (.74 and. '76) and drives the plates 68 and 70- along the leavesor plates 62.

The foregoing-isconsidered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention-to the exact construction and operation shown and described,

and accordingly allsuitable modifications and equivalentstoothbrush is placed guidingly moved to and supported in a given position so that tooth paste ejected from said tube may be readily and evenly applied to the bristles, said surface having an opening therein with which the bristles are registered, an applicator nozzle having its discharge end alined with and protruding through said opening, an adapter on the intake end of said nozzle communicatively connecting the nozzle with the tube neck, and openable and closable nozzle capping means movably mounted on said case and opposed to and operable toward and from said backing surface and normally covering and closing the discharge end of said nozzle, said mechanical means embodying a feed screw mounted lengthwise for rotation in said case, a pair of elongated sheet metal leaves having their lower ends anchored in said case, said leaves being flexibly resilient and serving to permit the tube of paste to be removably sandwiched for squeezing therebetween in a manner to distribute and equalize pressure which is applied progressively thereto, and a follower-type pressure device operatively mounted on said feed screw and having clamping and pressure applying plates slidingly contacting and movable along their respectively cooperating leaves.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said plates have their leading edges flared outwardly, and manually actuatable latching means connecting the plates togther in operative relationship.

3. A collapsible tube containing, holding and dispens ing device comprising a case in which a collapsible toothpaste or similar tube is housed and held, manually operated mechanical means operatively mounted and confined in said case for holding and compressing said tube and expressing paste mom said tube by way of the usual discharge neck on the tube, the front portion of said case having a toothbrush piloting, backing and brush servicing surface against which the bristled headof the toothbrush may be placed and guidingly moved to and supported in a given position so that toothpaste ejected from' said tube may be readily and evenly applied to the bristles on said head, said surface having an opening therein" with which the bristles are adapted to be registered, an applicator nozzle having a discharge end alined with and protruding through saidopening, an adapter on' the intake end of said nozzle communicatively connecting the nozzle with the tubeneck, and openabl'e' and closable nozzle capping means movably mounted onisai'd case and opposed toand operable toward and from saidbacking surface and normally covering and closing the discharge end of said posed clarnping andpressure exerting plates, the leading upward edge portions of said plates being flared outwardly, one plate being provided at one end with a threaded portion, the other plate being provided" at a corresponding end with a cooperating and" similarly formed threaded portion andsaid threaded portions to gether providing a feed nut, said feed nut being operatively engageable with said feed screw, one plate provided with a finger-grip and a cooperating spaceds c" as well as'a keeper, said feednut beingprovide-d unit a slotted flange, and a latch lever having a portionciigageable'with'the slot in said flange and'an endportion pi-votally mounted on one of said-clamping plates;

4. The structure defined in'clairn 3 and'wher'ein'an" intermediate portion of saidlever is'interposed b etween said fingerpiece and-stop and is engageable releasably" with said keeper;

5.- A collapsible tube-containing, holding'and dispens ing device comprising a case in which a collapsible tooth paste or similar tube is housed and held, manually operated mechanical means operatively mounted and confined in said base for holding and compressing said tube and expressing the paste from said tube upwardly by way of the usual discharge neck on the tube, the top front portion of said case having a toothbrush piloting, backing and brush servicing surface against which the bristled head of the toothbrush is placed, guidingly moved to and supported in a given position and so that tooth paste ejected from said tube may be readily and evenly applied to the bristles on said head, said surface having an opening therein with which said bristles are registered, an applicator nozzle having its discharge end aligned with and protruding through said opening, an adapter on the intake end of said nozzle communicativcly connecting the nozzle with the tube neck, and openable and ciosable nozzle capping means movably mounted on and forming a part of said case and opposed to and operable toward and from said backing surface and normally covering and closing the discharge end of said nozzle, said capping means being spring-biased to automatically assume its 6 l normal closing position and having one end hinged and the other end free to swing toward and from said surface and adapted to be urged and swung away from said servicing surface by simply shoving the head of the toothbrush between said free end and surface, said free end being in the form of a blunt-nosed wide cam which functions to facilitate guiding the brush head and wedging said free end away from said surface, said means com prising a hollow wedge-shaped member, that portion of the Wall of said member which is in proximity to said servicing surface having a cap-like indentation which is aligned with and caps over the cooperating discharge end of said nozzle to effect a sanitary closing of the nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,156,106 Smart Oct. 12, 1915 1,841,275 Baptiste Jan. 12, 1932 1,989,713 Smith et al Feb. 5, 1935 2,001,983 Spiros May 21, 1935 2,085,673 Roache June 29, 1937 2,533,282 Osman Dec. 12, 1950 

